I'm not an art collector, but I want this

Now, if I only had about $60,000 or so, I’d be buying this.

It’s my very favorite Sidney Paget illustration.

Is Sherlock wearing bell bottoms?

Nice illustration.

I think it’s the hem of his coat.

On closer look, I’ll agree. I think I see a pant leg under it.

It’s nice…but It isn’t $60,000 worth of nice!

I just went to DeviantArt, and found quite a few original Holmes illustrations (I had to scroll quite a bit to get past Downey and Cumberbatch) that I actually like better, and which could probably be purchased for only dozens of dollars, not thousands.

(I know the historical context and provenance of the Paget are worth a great deal to serious collectors. But who can afford to be a serious collector?)

Holy crap! That’s the original? The one printed in the magazine and later books? It’s the drawing that inspired the popular image of Holmes as wearing a trench coat and deerstalker cap (although he was only really dressed that way for a journey into the countryside). I’m amazed it’s only going for $60,000. That can’t be right.

Unless I’m missing something, that’s the original. Yep, $60,000, but I bet there’ll be a bidding war.